MADRID — Veteran forward Ruben Castro made a dream return to the Spanish league, converting a late penalty for Real Betis to beat Leganes 3-2 on Monday.
Castro, in his return after a stint in Chinese soccer, calmly scored in the 83rd minute, securing the victory after the hosts relinquished a two-goal lead.
The club’s all-time leading scorer entered the match only eight minutes earlier.
"It couldn’t have gone any better," the 36-year-old Castro said. "It was perfect. We won and I scored a goal that helped us earn the three points. I was really looking forward to playing here again."
Castro last year played on a loan for Chinese club Guizhou Zhicheng.
Betis ended a three-match losing streak at home.
Betis led 2-0 by halftime. Leganes was level by midway through the second half. Castro converted from the spot after Javier Eraso’s hand ball inside the area.
Betis moved to seventh in the 20-team standings, two points behind city rival Sevilla. Leganes dropped to 13th. It has a game in hand, against Real Madrid.
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